


Dependence

by sexywiddlebaby



Category: Game Grumps, Youtube RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Backstory, Chaptered, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Illegal Activities, Multi, Mystery, Past Relationship(s), Rejection, Spies & Secret Agents, Unresolved Tension, Video Games are Illegal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-05-20 06:45:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5995456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sexywiddlebaby/pseuds/sexywiddlebaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a biased court ruling, the possession, playing or distributing of video games becomes illegal worldwide, throwing everywhere into unrest. For gaming YouTubers that relied upon this to make their life work, they turn underground, continuing to do what they do best. Blood and tears must be fought to survive in the new gruelling world.</p><p>[007]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Judgement

**Author's Note:**

> Rating/characters/tags will update as this progresses.
> 
> Back from hiatus! I no longer promise regular updates, but I will definitely finish this.

"Order, order! Silence in the court!" The judge hammered his gavel into his desk until the room grew uncomfortably silent.

"I understand that we have reached a verdict."  
Mutters from the audience began to stir again, and the representative for the jury did the slow walk up to the stand, handing a sealed envelope to the judge. "This is the verdict for the case of video game media legality. The jury has given its final message, which reads as follows."

_After all of the evidence presented towards us the past few days, we have reached a unanimous decision. From the clear downsides of health effects, the decline in the social skills of urban areas, the increasing statistics of isolation, and links to addiction, our vision is clear. The jury wholeheartedly believes that the ban should be enforced on all video game related media, and that any possession, distribution or ownership of such content becomes an immediate offence to law._

Violent outcries from the audience echoed around the court, the cameras still pointing at the judge, watching his gavel slam to the desk once more.  
"This court finds that video games are now to be treated as illegal substances under law, and anyone found with this material is subject to punishment. Court adjourned."

The judge rose from his seat, walking away and out of the room, followed closely by the jury, leaving only the angered audience to fight with the words.

Suzy's mouth was hanging open with astonishment, her eyes still fixed to the TV screen. Arin, who was sat next to her, looked around the room and back to the TV in disbelief.  
"They can't do this, Suzy! **NO!** " Arin bellowed, his voice layered with agony and fear. He smacked his hands against his thighs, making them sting with pain, before Suzy had to grab his arms to stop him injuring himself any further.  
"What are we gonna do, hun?" Suzy asked.  
"I...I don't know..." Arin muttered, turning to look Suzy in the eyes. His face showed so much anger and worry at the same time. Suzy pulled Arin in to comfort him, hugging until Arin would stop hysterically crying into her shoulder. _Everything's going to be okay, sweetie, it's going to be alright..._

Barry wandered across from his editing desk to the main couch, joining Arin and Suzy, letting the news sink in like a bullet into flesh.  
"This can't be fucking happening." Barry rested his hand against Arin's shoulder as he continued whimpering.

Dan and Ross walked out of the recording room in laughter over their Steam Train filming, when they finally heard Arin's cries tear through the air. They froze, turning to the middle of the room.  
"What's going on?" blurted Dan, rushing over to the couch. Ross followed closely behind.  
Suzy looked up from Arin to face Dan. Dan diverted his concerned attention to Barry.  
"The verdict happened," Barry explained. Ross swallowed hard, realising their lives were about to change forever.

~~~~~~

"More bags! I need more!"  
Dan rushed over to Suzy, handing her another duffel bag. She resumed sweeping the game cases off the shelves and into the bags.  
"Over here!" Arin called.  
Dan ran to the other side of the office, carrying the last empty bag with him.

The recording room had been stripped bare in only a few hours since the announcement, with the last of the games being shoved recklessly away into stacks of bags and containers. Dan felt unsettled, to say the least. They were tearing away everything they'd built in the three year run of the show together, all evidence being locked away tight.

Barry had already deleted the remaining videos on his hard drive, shut down the group's YouTube channel and media, and was now working on uninstalling all their PC game content from the computers. Ross had rushed home to deal with his personal collection of games.

In the same time, more and more countries had already outlawed video games, and arrests had already started. The world was currently in a state of incredible unbalance, with uproar and public rioting happening in even the most civil of places. Headlines of police battering down protestors and threats of war were already circulating in media. Nobody had taken the verdict well. Rumors of an influenced decision had spread like butter over the Internet. It was all so sudden.

"Come on Dan, we gotta go," Arin said, briskly leaving the office with bags in hand.  
There was nothing else they could realistically do if they wanted to avoid trouble. Dan grabbed the last bags in the recording room, and struggled out of the door with them. They weren't safe here. Dan walked past Barry, who was now powering the computers off and collecting his things together. He could hear Suzy talking over the phone to Ross, mentioning their plans.

Danny exited the building, and trudged over to his car in the lot, popping the boot open. He carelessly threw the bags inside and closed it as Arin approached him.  
"Any stops you need to make?"  
"Home, preferably," Dan answered coldly, the happiness lost from his heart.  
Arin frowned, but agreed, saying he'd need to catch up. Suzy rushed outside to join Arin, and they both wished their goodbyes and fortune to Dan, setting off in their car.

Dan stood alone and disoriented in the car park, facing his car, psyching himself up. He finally gathered enough strength to get inside his car, turn it on, and drive away into the distance. He inched the driver-side window down a few notches, letting the breeze rush against his face as he drove towards his house, his fro blowing back against his seat and tickling his cheeks every so often.


	2. Five Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been five years since the original bill has passed, and everything has changed.

Arin twiddled his thumbs, watching the sky grow darker out of his basement window. He was dressed in an oversized leather trench-coat, with a red and black suit underneath, puffing a cigar. Waiting. Suzy entered the room, placing the transaction documents on the desk Arin was sat behind. Hearing the papers being put down, Arin swivelled round in his chair to face Suzy, thanking her for bringing them in. He swiped them from the desk, and began to read the letter (attached to the familiar trading agreements) aloud.

_To whom it may concern,_  
_We have noticed your dedicated trade presence in our local area. However, it is on its last legs. As a larger organisation, you could do so much more with us, and gain from all of the benefits. There are no downsides to joining. Of course, this is a purely optional choice. Just know that your 'competition' will not hesitate to eliminate your presence for good if you do happen to decline._

_We eagerly await your response. You have until this Wednesday at midnight to make your decision - meet at Redbar Avenue on time to discuss your decision with some of our representatives. Failure to show will be treated as a rejection._  
  
_Sincerely,_  
_Officer Conrad,_ _M.A.K.E.R._

"...Officer Conrad?" Suzy asked. "That couldn't possibly be..."  
Arin reached inside of his memory for anyone forgoing the title. He spun around in his chair, muttering thoughts mixed with curses under his breath. Suzy noticed the plume of smoke rise above Arin's chair as he continued to smoke.  
"Thank you, Suzy. That will be all."  
Suzy bowed her allegiance, and exited the boss' office, closing the door behind her.

Arin weighed up his options. It was already late Monday night, the biting cold as unforgiving as it always had been. The group didn't really stand a chance against such a formidable opponent if they chose to strike. He wondered if their words were truly sincere.

Conrad would never joke about something so serious.

~~~~~~

"Agent Rubber, can you hear me? I have visuals."  
Ross was too distracted to reply to the voice coming through his walkie-talkie. His mind was still flooded with thoughts of failure and regret, reminiscing ruthlessly over the precious days he had together with Holly.  
"Rubber, are you there?"  
The alleyway Ross was stood in seemed to close in on him. Why did it have to end like that? Why did the world have to change so suddenly? If he could only go back and try again, things would have been-  
"Come in, Rubber, please."  
Annoyed, Ross finally picked up his walkie, and held down the transmission button. "Yes, yes, I'm here Raz."  
"Okay. Meet me at rendezvous Alpha. And Rubber..."  
"What, Raz?"  
"Stay focused this time, will you?"  
The voice disconnected from his ear. Ross replaced the walkie-talkie back in his sleek pants, erasing the useless thoughts out of his head, and sped off towards the mentioned meeting place.

Barry put his walkie-talkie down, and picked up his binoculars, zooming in on the parking lot below him. He could see three shady figures, standing in a sort of triangle, exchanging words under whispers of the wind. He recognised two of the men, as their faces were clearly visible - they were known troublemaking traders. The third, more rotund man, was facing in the wrong direction for Barry to make out any facial features. His body language was very eccentric and demanding. Familiar.

The traders handed over a small, rectangular brown parcel to the mystery man. He exchanged a roll of American bills in return. The group disbanded, checking in all of the obvious windows that they weren't being watched. Barry's radio crackled in his pocket, so he swiftly swapped out his binoculars for it again.  
"Raz, I've reached Alpha."  
"Good. Watch the sidewalk for a larger guy. He should be holding a package in his hand," Barry instructed.  
Ross acknowledged the instructions, before ending the connection again.

Barry picked himself up off the roof of the house he was laid on, turning away from the edge and running for the fire-escape stairwell. He needed to catch up with whoever he saw. He needed the face. Barry scaled down the side of the building, treading lightly as not to disturb anyone inside, before sprinting into the darkness of the surrounding network of backstreets.

Ross was on top of the theatre, which overlooked the edge of a park, and several irregularly used roads. Few vehicles ever came through these roads, since the majority of the houses on the streets around them were derelict or broken down. A single street-lamp illuminated the crossing connecting two sides of the road below the theatre. And there he was: the unknown man, speed-walking down the other side of the street, parcel in tow. He passed by the lamp, giving Ross enough time to make out the dark black beard and hairdo on him, as well as a small parrot resting on his shoulder.

Ross, without breaking eye contact on the man, reached for his walkie-talkie.  
"Raz, I found him. You'll never guess who it is," Ross said teasingly.  
"...Tell me already," Barry panted into the other side of the signal.  
"It's Jafari."

~~~~~~

Dan strode into the lobby of the secret Grump hideout, hands deep in his pockets, sunglasses pushed up on his nose as if the sun was striking into his eyes. He could overhear the rampant discussion in the boss' office, but decided to avoid the commotion and go to his bedroom.

As he flicked the light-switch up, he was met with Ross lying on his mattress, appearing to be asleep. Dan smiled, and slipped his jacket off onto the floor, hiding his trusty knife in the same spot as always - behind his chest of drawers. He carefully shuffled into bed, trying not to disturb Ross too much, and laid facing the crooked ceiling. Dan sighed a breath of relief, before noticing Ross wasn't actually sleeping, but gently crying into the pillow.

"Buddy, what's going on?" Dan asked, placing his hand firmly on Ross' shoulder. "You can tell ol' Avidan anything."  
Ross paused his tears, moving to indicate Dan to remove his hand. He rolled over to face Dan, his reddened eyes searching for help in Dan's caring ones.  
"Oh man. You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"  
Ross nodded weakly, spluttering more tears of anguish, sliding his head into Dan's shoulder. Dan extended his arm over Ross, rubbing his back to comfort him, gently whispering soothing words into his ears.  
"You can't change what happened, Ross," he explained, "but you can start to become someone better because of it."

Ross had now stopped crying altogether, but Dan continued to rub his hand along Ross in relaxing motions.  
"It was something you couldn't control. Stop beating yourself up about it. Please?"  
Dan planted a kiss on top of Ross' head, and Ross relaxed more into the bed, breathing deeply.  
"She was a wonderful lady, I know. But we've all got to move on," Dan added.

"Thank you, Danny," Ross muttered into Dan's shoulder, before he fell to sleep in his arms.  
Dan looked up at the cracked walls of his room, waiting for sleep to overcome him as well.

It had been a tiring day for everyone.

~~~~~~

"I'm telling you, that's what we saw!" Barry exclaimed, slamming his hands onto Arin's desk with conviction.  
"I don't like liars, Kramer. Are you _one-hundred percent sure_ about this?"  
"Yes, for crying out loud, it was Jon!"  
Suzy hushed them both, reminding them of the people that could hear them in the floors above. Arin stared with judgement into Barry's eyes, puffing his cigar intermittently, and Barry maintained his flaming gaze with Arin.

Eventually, Arin rose from his chair, walking out from behind his desk, and towards the front of the office.  
"Okay, suppose it was Jon," Arin pondered, "what would he be doing around here this late?"  
Barry hesitated.  
"Anything. He could be trading for all we know."  
Arin hummed in thought.

"He's right, Arin. Jon could be up to something dangerous," stated Suzy. "I think it's best if you keep tabs on him."  
"Yes, that's a good idea, Suze," Arin agreed. "So that's exactly what you'll do for me, Raz. Keep alert for him. If you spot him, I want you to follow him to the ends of the earth, but report back if anything happens."  
Barry nodded, and thanked Suzy and Arin for their attention.

He excused himself from the office, heading towards his shared bedroom which would usually be accompanied by Ross. Noticing his absence, Barry sighed, but undressed anyway, and threw his aching body onto his bed. It had been a long time since he'd seen Jon at all, so for him to show up so suddenly like this - it was all too strange. Barry's eyelids wavered with fatigue as he continued to guess the purpose of Jon's visit.

He would have to find out tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter will come out tomorrow (15 Feb).  
> Things will only get hotter from here on out...


	3. Tuesday Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after Jafari has been spotted. Thinking they can just resume business as normal for the day, the Grumps are in for a few surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this came out 5 days later than intended. Some real shit came up I had to deal with. I should be able to go back to working on this consistently again now, though.

Holly strutted down the lavishly decorated corridor, her pointed scarlet shoes seemingly gliding across the carpet. Two bodyguards either side of her wielded sharpened lances and scars embedded into their cheeks. Her lipstick was a shade of complimenting red, and along with her rose hair, she screamed power from every angle. Her soft, charcoal cloak drifted along the floor behind her. One of the guards rushed in front, pulling the heavy oak door open in time for Holly to continue walking without pausing.

She entered the spacious audience room, that consisted of mostly empty space, apart from her throne positioned at the top of a flight of stairs. Her visitors, struck with a chilling silence, stood together at the bottom of the stairs, watching Holly take her seat. An arched window behind the adorned throne flooded sunlight in over the top of her, making her appear god-like in form. The two carved eagles on the top of the throne reminded anyone who wished to speak that she was not to be messed around with.

"Everyone who isn't here for orders, leave now," a guard bellowed from behind Holly.  
One person stood still, whilst the rest of the dishevelled audience turned around and filed out of the room. Hearing the doors close, Holly leaned backwards in her chair.

"Now Sheepdog, I summoned you here this morning over...some troubles I wish taken care of."  
"Of course, Officer. What is troubling you?"  
"As you know, we are pending an agreement with the Grump clan. I require you to watch their routes for any...activity."  
Brian pictured the layout of the closed-down area of town they were positioned in. He could remember the park, and the theatre opposite, with the expanse of alleys dotted around every corner. He could taste their fear on his tongue.  
"If you find any little lost sheep around, bring them back here for me. I want them alive."  
"As you wish, Officer."

Brian bowed swiftly, and like a flash of lightning darted out of the room. Holly smirked, rubbing her gloved hands together.  
"Yes... _alive_."

~~~~~~

The mattress felt cold. Dan explored the bed with his hand, but found that nobody was laying beside him. He grunted, realising it must already be morning. Dan peeled his eyelids open, and then the curtains too, lazily scrambling out of his nest of covers. Today was Tuesday, which meant that he was supposed to be on surveillance, but it couldn't hurt to check with the Boss if that's what he should be up to. He slung the leather jacket he'd worn yesterday over his shoulders, adjusting the shades on his nose, and withdrawing the knife from its hiding spot. He could hear the deafening silence of an empty town weigh over his back.

Dan left his room, striding towards the office and humming the lyrics to his unreleased album. Just before the verdict passed, Dan and Brian were planning to release their new Ninja Sex Party track list, but they felt it was too dangerous to do that, especially if they were going into hiding. Dan sighed, and swung the office door open, trying to leave those thoughts outside in the lobby.

"Hey Arin," Dan said, walking to the desk.  
Arin's chair was facing the window, and he stuck out his hand asking for Dan to wait.  
"Woah, okay, slow down Barry. Where's Ross?"  
Voices from the other side of the phone rattled through the air, stricken with terror. It never seemed to slow down; instead, a never-ending series of panicked words just flowed into the office.  
"What do you mean you can't contact him? Where **the fuck** is Ross?"

Dan stood in uncomfortable silence, not noticing Suzy had come up behind him.  
"Hi, Danny," she whispered in his ear.  
Dan jumped a little, covering his mouth with his hand so he didn't disturb the call, and turned to see Suzy giggling.  
"Not cool, Suze-"  
"What are you doing here, anyway?"  
"I swung by to see if Grump over here had anything for me to do."  
"Well, I'm sure he would - if we knew where Ross was..."  
Suzy nudged Dan's side, winking over-enthusiastically at him. Dan rolled his eyes and shook his head.

" **Find him, Barry.** "  
Arin disconnected the call, throwing his phone on the floor in anger. It shattered, and plastic shards from the screen splayed all over the floor. Suzy gasped and ran over to Arin's side, placing her hand on his shoulder, and comforting him. Dan could feel his presence was no longer warranted, and silently exited the office, leaving Arin and Suzy to settle their matters in private.

"I guess I'll just do whatever, then."

~~~~~~

Jon swept a hand through his hair, confident. He strode out into the plaza, where he had met his dealers the night before, but this time, he carried a different package. The weak rays from the sun made the puddles spreading across the road glimmer and shine. And then, Jon heard an extra footstep. It wasn't in time with his walking pace. He slowed his breathing, and turned on his heel on the spot, dramatically slamming his foot on the ground, spreading his arms out, ready to strike.

"Where are ya, huh?!"  
Jon's ears were met with the harsh reality of silence.  
"Come out, I dare ya!"  
Drifts of wind tickled his beard and messed with his hair, but his gaze remained hungry for stalkers.  
"We can do this the-"  
"Hello, Jon," a deep voice whispered in his ear.  
Jon jumped in surprise. He didn't appreciate oddly attractive voices coming out of nowhere. Out of pure instinct, he never looked behind him, and sped off to back where he came from.  
"Hey, Jon, wait up!"  
The voice grew quieter as Jon dashed into the crevices of the town, hoping to leave behind the mysterious tailer, but to no avail. He could hear the arhytmic footsteps closing the gap as he continued to run through the maze of alleys, his heart wanting to leap free of the constraints of his chest. But to no avail.

Jon had now reached the end of a path, and wasted no time in scaling the worn down fire-escape dangerously attached to the brick wall surrounding him. Well, at least he thought he wasted no time, but really he couldn't manage more than two steps at a time. The weight of the package slowed him down to a crawl. And when Jon had climbed to the top of these stairs, and realised there was nowhere else to go, he tried being invisible.

But to no avail.

Barry swung round the corner to the dead-end seeing Jon shaking in his boots at the top of the stairwell.  
"Go away!" Jon called out, hearing him arrive. "Leave me alone you weirdo!"

"Jon. It's me, Barry."

Jon opened his eyes in disbelief, scanning the concrete below him and - there he was. Barry was stood with a concerned look on his face, an arm outstretched and calling for him to come down to the ground. His concern transformed to a heart-melting smile as he noticed Jon had calmed down.  
"B-B-Bear?" Jon stammered.  
He definitely didn't look the same. Barry was clean-shaven, his beard but a distant memory lost in Jon's mind, and he wore as many leather items of clothing as possible, from head to toe. He had noticeably worked away a lot of his fat. It was an alarming difference at first, but he could still make out the familiar dazzling eyes and faint quiver dancing on his lips whenever he was around.

Jon shook his head, and rushed back down the stairs to meet Barry on ground-level.  
"It's been a while, ain't it?"  
They both laughed, and came into an embrace, patting each other on the back reassuringly.  
"It's been too long, I think," Barry commented.

 


	4. Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After tailing Jon, Barry follows him away from his familiar territory, leaving his search for Ross, who has mysteriously disappeared. Dan decides to take matters into his own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, it's been 3 months since last update. To be honest I lost my motivation for writing in general, but I'm slowly adjusting to writing again. Sorry if you were a devoted reader. I won't promise regular updates anymore, but I won't let this fic end uncompleted.

He was leaning against a faulty lamppost as the evening wore on. The bitter air rattled the bones inside him, but all he could do was wait and look unsuspicious.

Crowds of people drifted past him, making their way away from the pier, where many had been spending a lazy afternoon on the beach. The pier was part of the harbour, the only functioning part of town that survived, and somehow still managed to attract visitors during the summer months. Apart from the obvious attractions of the beach, the pier and the boardwalks, it provided a neat little dock area, which was used for importing goods. Not just any goods, however--the regular delivery of smuggled video games entered here.

Finally, the distant mumuring of a boat engine cut through the whispering wind, signalling his time for action. He was surprised the delivery boats were still able to motor through the bay, considering the drop in temperature and uneven waters, but nevertheless shoved himself away from his waiting corner and strolled cautiously towards the docks.

It had been several hours ago that Ross had woken up in Dan's bedroom, his eyes sore and sensitive from the tears he'd been shedding for hours previously. Careful not to wake Dan, Ross slithered out of the comforting bed, stuffed his walkie-talkie back into his pants and crept out of the room. He didn't really know what the time was, but it was definitely late into Monday as he could still hear Arin rattling away at his typewriter through his office door. Of course, Arin could be using his computer to type, but he was most likely drafting some trading documents, which everyone agreed was safer to make on something that couldn't be spied on.

Ross planted his hands deep into his jeans, stepping outside into the unfriendly weather. There was supposed to be a drop tonight--a shipment of rare retro games--arriving in the docks by the harbour. He and Barry had agreed to reconvene there after Ross had to awkwardly dash back to the Grump base for some emotional time off. Presuming Barry would already be there waiting, he just trudged along the narrow pathways alone, left with his painful thoughts.

His mind kept filling itself with memories of his previous wife, and how happy they were together, and of the mistakes he made on that fateful day five years ago. It had been an executive decision made by the Grumps to not continue their gaming ways with any large corporation ties, and yet Holly was always hesistant of that. She preferred the protection in numbers. Ross preferred the protection of his friends. One spat later, Ross was sat outside of his house, all of his important things in tow, except for his marriage.

He still clung onto those last moments, wishing himself ways to change what he'd said, and if only he could have prevented the law from being passed in the first place, none of this mess would have spiralled into action. Tears would have welled in his eyes at times like these, but he was so dehydrated and tired that nothing could form. Instead, he carried on his dreary route, trying to surpress those thoughts with his task on-hand.

And yet, after Ross had waited, and after he had made the short journey to the docks, there was no boat in sight. Laying on the edge of the boardwalk was a toppled-over boombox, playing a looping track of a boat whirring through the water.

And a few seconds later, Ross was laying down on the floor with it, unconscious.

~~~~~~

Barry had completely forgotten about his missing agent partner, his attention focused on Jon as they backtracked through the plaza and walked away from the alleys. They were deep in conversation, reminding each other of the times they'd shared together at Arin's house, recording and editing away at Grump episodes. Jon chuckled heartily every now-and-again, leading Barry through some unfamiliar streets--ones he hadn't been allowed to explore of his own accord due to safety concerns. Barry just maintained the discussion, trying not to appear as lost and tense as he actually was.

Eventually Jon stopped walking across the sidewalk, and pushed a half-broken door through its rotting frame. Inside the building was the remnants of an old electronics store, some shelves still intact, others broken; illegal items were strewn across the floor, game cases devoid of their discs, discount bins holding nothing but a reminder of the intense looting and riots that were the first reactions of many game fans after the bill passed.

They made their way into what was the employee's area and stock room. Jon ushered Barry inside of one many similar doors lining the walls, telling him to flick the light-switch on before he went too far into the room.

"Holy fuck, Jon," Barry said in awe, taking in the sight of floor-to-ceiling stacks of game cartridges and console systems.  
"Worth a fortune," Jon commented offhandedly. "I thought you deserved to see it, being an old friend and all."  
Barry hesistated. "Does anyone else know about this?"  
"Just me."

Jon then introduced Barry to all of the organised sections of his treasure, pointing out all the alphabetically sorted catridges, spanning twenty years of gaming history. Then there was the more impressive 'collectors' section, which had various unopened deluxe editions of games, and finally the wall of console systems.

"Most of the consoles are wanted for scrap, so I preserve those too."  
Barry nodded, not breaking his sight from admiring the beautiful bounty in front of him. How was this real? The Grumps had been searching endlessly for a lot of the titles seen duplicated in Jon's collection, not to mention how high quality most of these were as Arin was desperately considering taking broken copies just to fill the collection.

Jon nudged Barry's side.  
"You remember what I said to you before I left?" Jon asked.  
Barry's happy mood fell. "You denied my question and left me broken-hearted, that's what."  
"It wasn't the right time for me for you to ask that," Jon replied, "but believe me when I say how much I wanted to say yes."  
Barry blinked harder in realisation. "You mean you loved me too?"  
Jon gave a patient smile and placed his hand into Barry's.

"I still do."

~~~~~~

Dan stood at the dock, where Ross had been laying several hours prior. Filled with anger, he noticed the decoy music box still blurting out a crackly boat siren, only serving to make him more riled up. It wasn't like Ross to fall for a trap this basic. To go out by himself without telling anyone, even after Suzy had told Ross he wouldn't need to make the collection, and yet he still tried to. Sometimes, Dan thought, Ross could be a bit of an idiot.

Dan kneeled onto the concrete, trying to recreate the scene in his mind. Ross would have walked from the corner where he always waited after hearing the music track, coming to a stop probably when he realised there wasn't a boat arriving. Dan glided his hand along the floor, trying to feel any warmth or abnormal markings, when he noticed the scratches on the floor, presumably where Ross lost his footing.

The blood splattered barely a metre away from it could indicate a strike to the head, or at least some minor injury caused from Ross' fall.

Dan breathed in weakly, coming to the conclusion that Ross had been forcefully ambushed by someone. He scanned the rest of the area with his eyes, looking for any more hints as to where Ross would be--

A beep echoed around the dock, followed by a familiar crackling noise as something tried to communicate with him. It sounded like a walkie-talkie. Dan sprung to his feet, trying to listen out for the direction of the noise's source. The relentless wailing of the device was enough to make Dan feel like he was being teased by the people who took his beloved Ross away from him. He was already pretty sure this was a dirty move by M.A.K.E.R, something for them to use as an 'asset' when the deal had to be made.

Sure enough, Dan found the walkie-talkie lying further down the road by the dilapidated street lamp, its case broken along one edge where it had been dropped. Dan picked it up slowly. It was still running and tuned into a very specific frequency, which Dan assumed would be the one Ross used to talk with Barry to. Dan clicked the side of the walkie-talkie.

"Hello? Agent Raz, do you hear me?"

No answer.

"Agent Raz, do you copy?"

Nothing.

"Agent Raz."

After hearing no response for the third time, Dan flicked the switch off and pocketed the device in his leather jacket. He briefly turned back to the site where he knew Ross had been kidnapped, and then sped off into the distance.

He had to tell Arin.


	5. New Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ross is alone and scared, and Dan reports his findings back to the Grump space. Tensions are starting to build.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, a backstory heavy chapter is here. After this, things are going to pick up the pace.

It was the searing pain at the back of his head that woke Ross up. He had been sleeping alone in a bed large enough for a King, but he didn't feel like one. Instead, the ridiculously soft pillow and the extravagant duvet he was under tasted nothing short of sour. Times like these twelve years ago would have easily been linked to a night out with his friends that went a bit too wild; this time he couldn't recall how he ended up inside of an expensive bedroom, seemingly miles away from home. It was an alien sensation to say the least, and as his grogginess finally swept away from him, the bed covers were kicked several feet into the air.

Ross watched as it flung across the room to crash into the vanity opposite the bed. Glass bottles containing all manners of fragrances shattered under the weight of the duvet, spilling their colourless liquids over the wooden surface and staining the plush carpet below. Ross was panicking. This bed, even though it was clearly of a higher quality and design than the one in Dan's bedroom, felt somehow uninviting. The atmosphere in the room was choking. Ross scanned the room for an exit route, noticing the delicate, thin glass of the windows lining the room.

He shuffled over to inspect the outside from the windows more closely. Ross pressed his face against the glass, steaming it up as he exhaled in shock. The pearly white clouds formed a layer of terror merely three flights below his room, with only the fragile sheets of glass separating him from a three-thousand foot drop. With no windowsill or other structure to stand on, Ross backed away from the window, careful to avoid the shards of bottles woven into the rug.

Ross opted to try the door, wobbling the door knob in every conceivable direction, before giving up. The door was locked, the windows had no use, and everywhere else was solid wall and upholestry too decadent for his taste. One item looked out of place, which was the plain white analogue clock hanging above the wrecked vanity. The clock hands were pointed at 11:31am, with a date container reading Wednesday. It ticked rhythmically onwards with no care in the world.

Ross slid down the door to sit in a nervous position, tucking his knees close to his chest. He stared at the clock, looking for answers, rocking himself gently forwards and backwards. Someone would come and save him.

~~~~~~

Dan skidded around the sharp corners of the alleys, not wanting to slow down his race to the office. His leather jacket flapped against the wind and his typical cool-guy sunglasses masked the anxiety faded into his eyes. His movements weren't as refined as they usually were--Dan brushed against the brick buildings, wearing away at his clothes. He had to know Ross was all right, but at the same time his heart pounded every inch he got closer to his destination. It wasn't going to be easy telling Arin, but he couldn't stand by and leave Ross to wither away alone.

Suzy was busy pulling together her bulletin for Arin to read. She'd grabbed several newspapers which detailed the events of the modern-day world already, but was struggling to find anything relating to video games. It had been like this ever since the Grumps arrived in the basement, or their "base" for short. Suzy scoured the Internet and the local corner shops for any news that might hint of the return of their video games. It wasn't always a massively important thing for Suzy herself to have them back, but seeing Arin become a social recluse and so determined to hold on to his show...it made it a quest for her to bring back what Arin loved.

She turned to the next newspaper, scanning the headlines for anything useful.

Suddenly, the front door flew open, and in stepped Dan. Suzy turned her gaze away from her desk to see Dan, boldly standing in the middle of the foyer, the gusts of wind throwing his clothes forwards and only emphasising his pure awesomeness.

"Would you mind getting the door, Dan?" Suzy asked, feeling the cooler outside air nipping at her fingertips.  
Dan snapped out of his pose, and turned on his heels to push the door closed. He adjusted his flowing hair with his hands and approached Suzy's desk.

"Thanks," Suzy said. "Is there something you wanted, Dan?"  
"Oh yeah, I was hoping to see Big Cat."  
Noticing the awkward silence, Dan moved his hands away from the desk. "I, uh...yeah."Suzy frowned. "He's not in a good mood."  
Dan never liked seeing Arin when he was down, but from overhearing their conservation earlier he was pretty certain it would help out.  
"It's about Ross."

Suzy's eyes widened, and she put down the papers she was holding.  
"Okay Dan, I'll let him know."  
"Thanks, Suze."

She nodded, and slowly edged herself into Arin's office. Dan could only hear a gentle forwards and backwards conversation before Suzy emerged from the room and told Dan he could go in. Dan slid his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose, striding into the other room, along with Suzy. She closed the door behind them and walked over to the swivel chair facing away from the centre. She leaned in to mention Dan was present, and the chair turned around.

Arin twiddled his thumbs together and quirked his eyebrow, humming softly.  
"What do you know?"  
Dan swallowed harder than he intended to. He hadn't really been thinking about how to deliver the message to Arin nicely, let alone how to start. There was so much to tell him, but he figured he wouldn't need to hear about the whole investigation.

Dan walked towards Arin's desk and chucked Ross' walkie-talkie onto it.  
"Holy shit," Arin said, gasping as if he'd just been presented with a newborn puppy. "Where did you...?"  
"By the docks."

Arin's skin began to burn. He knew he told somebody that the shipment didn't need collecting anymore, and yet he could already sense that Ross had no idea and just went out of routine. He clenched his fist and breathed sharply through his nose.  
"What happened?" Suzy interrupted.

Dan decided to recount the events of earlier--the boombox with the fake boat churning and the scuff marks on the pavement. The splatters of blood and the walkie-talkie discarded by the streetlamp continued to ravage his mind, igniting a new flame in his soul. He wanted Ross back and he wanted him _now_. Arin was deep in thought, the cogs of his mind turning to find some sort of explanation or solution. He picked up the walkie-talkie and turned the dial to the correct frequency, and pressed the button.

"Bear, are you there?"  
"It's not worth it, Arin, I've already tried."

Suzy slid an opened envelope over to Arin. "Remember this letter?"  
Arin pinched the paper out, and unfolded it, scanning the signature at the bottom.

_Sincerely,_  
_Officer Conrad, M.A.K.E.R._

"We're meant to meet them tomorrow, right?" Suzy asked.  
Arin read the letter aloud again, confirming the date to meet as Wednesday, by Redbar Avenue.  
"Come to think of it, I've never heard of a Redbar Avenue."  
Dan shrugged. "Me neither."

"Well," Suzy began, "it's the old name of a place that was off the main highstreet. Used to have several takeaway shops and a pub if I remember correctly."  
"Why would they want to meet us outside a takeaway?" Arin asked.  
"I don't know. Is this even a real letter?"  
"It's not like someone would fake a kidnapping over a forged letter though," Dan said, anger riddled in his voice.  
Arin nodded in agreement.

"So what are we gonna do, Arin? We can't sit here and do nothing."  
"We've gotta ambush their ambush," Arin replied.  
He shot up from his chair, letting his trenchcoat uncrease itself, before looking wistfully out of the window.  
"But how?" Dan cut in.

Arin paused for a second. It wasn't likely that Conrad herself would show--that would be a much too dangerous affair--but she would rather send someone lower in command. Knowing the power M.A.K.E.R already had, that person wouldn't be alone. And with their history of tricks and deception, it was going to be a set-up anyway. If they couldn't outman the event, they'd have to foil it instead.

"You two should scout the place out. Find all the good hiding spots and trip them up with the best traps you can think of. I want that place under our control before midnight."  
Suzy and Dan acknowledged their task, said their thanks, and left the room at once.

Arin resumed observing the clouds drift by in the sky.  
"What the fuck are you up to, Conrad?"

~~~~~~

Barry didn't look back. After Jon's little confession, he couldn't stay in that building alone with him. Not with the man that let him down once already.

"Bar, wait!" Jon shouted, attempting to tail Barry back outside.  
He knew he wasn't fast enough to keep up with Barry, but he tried regardless. Jon stood alone on the shop floor, hearing a pitter-patter of rainfall that masked any hopes of hearing footsteps. He bent over, putting his hand on his chest, and regained his breath.

To tell the truth, Jon didn't expect such an adverse reaction from Barry. Even if Barry didn't have the same feelings for Jon, he didn't see Barry blushing bright red and bailing out of the room without an explanation. Searching for him now would be pointless, and he probably wouldn't want to talk about a date, so Jon returned to his storage room alone.

Barry couldn't care less about the rain soaking his hair and his clothes. He'd never dreamt that Jon would have ever liked him in more than a friend or coworker sense, but it wasn't the right time to lay that onto him. He dashed away, back through the plaza, past rendezvous Alpha, and carrying on through the web of alleys.

Jon was Barry's first and only crush. It was a part of him that he wanted to leave behind with the good memories he had editing Grump episodes. And when Jon left after his sole year hosting the show, watching him leave the office for the last time, it crushed him. Only his bitter rejection was left behind. So when the bill did pass, Barry realised it was a chance for him to fly solo and lead a different life. There was always a pang of guilt in his stomach every time he considered it, and so he stayed with the rest of them, hoping it was just a fairground rollercoaster he could ride and then eventually disembark.

A person traversed the rooftops above Barry, watching his every move intently. They chuckled to themself, watching Barry run down a dead-end.

"Ah, shit," Barry mumbled.

Unwanted laughter crept up behind him.  
"How laughably naïve."


	6. Growing Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short because it needed to be written eventually but I couldn't see this expanding into a full-length chapter without excessive filler.~

"Here we are," Suzy whispered, hands firmly on her hips.  
She stood at the entrance of the posthumous Redbar Avenue, indicated sloppily by a worn-down street sign. The winds of daybreak rustled through the trees that climbed above the avenue's rooftops, making them sway gently to and fro. Dan stood in a more alert stance, wielding a pair of blades fixed to the bottoms of either calves. The avenue itself looked pretty ordinary for a small outlaying road--a few shop windows were still advertising their menus of the day and mannequins draped in various textiles--but they figured there had to be something niche about it. In their ordinary minds, M.A.K.E.R would plan such an encounter in an exploitable place, so it was down to the Grump duo to uncover the tricks.

"Looks pretty beat," Dan said, the newfound valour from his missing teammate still lingering in his voice.  
Being a martial artist, or at least trained in them to a degree, Dan was first to scale the left side of the street in search of second-floor hiding spots. He expected a few outposts in the air to force them into not moving, which could lead to capture, or as far as he was concerned, not meeting Ross again.

Suzy took a slower approach, looking for any trap locations on the ground. She only walked a few feet down the avenue before noticing a faint chalk line etched across the road. Someone had tried to rub the evidence away, as the line faded in and out in several places. _They've definitely been here already._ Neat crosses were also drawn equidistantly apart along the line--one...two...three...--seven in total. A larger green cross was marked behind the plainer white line. What were they for, and why did somebody attempt to remove them?

On the other hand, Dan had been presented with more obvious problems. He managed to climb up onto a dainty balcony that overlooked a major section of the street, which happened to be above where Suzy was inspecting. Laying on the tiles of the balcony, arranged neatly with a matching ammunition box, were three pistols. More specifically, three Desert Eagles, presumably loaded and with plenty of assassination capabilities. Whoever had set this place up had done so with a steady hand and clear planning. Dan turned around, noticing the balcony door was ajar, darkness leaking out of the doorframe. He silently picked up a gun from the floor and nudged his way inside the building.

As the door opened, the lighter outdoor skies brightened the room to reveal worse. From quick observation, Dan could count at least twenty different models of guns that were piled up on the double bed in front of him. The floor was also covered in larger pieces of negotiating equipment, including a flamethrower, a set of hand grenades and other miscellaneous artillery that Dan could tell were lethal without further inspection. Fighting his initial body tenses, Dan swiftly exited the room and vaulted the balcony, landing smoothly on the concrete road.

Suzy greeted Dan again, noticing the graver expression heavy on his face.  
"Did you find something?" Suzy asked.  
"We need to get out of here immediately."

~~~~~~

Wednesday morning meant business morning in the M.A.K.E.R place. Holly was slumped into her seat, evidently bored, wringing her hands impatiently. The guard still hadn't arrived to let the audience come in, so she was waiting alone in the room. Before she nearly fell asleep, Holly noticed a shadow dart across her field of vision. Her eyes shot open.

"I've brought him," Brian said.  
Barry's unconscious form was splayed in Brian's arms.  
"Excellent work, Sheepdog. I assume the meeting will be going ahead as planned today?"  
"Certainly, Officer. All preparations have been made for the event."  
Holly clasped her gloved hands together, leaning forward into Brian's face. A smirk grew on her face as her plan was falling seamlessly into place.  
"Very well. You can put Mr. Kramer with our other resident for the time being," Holly said, a chuckle escaping her lips.

Brian, managing to hold Barry without struggle, bowed and left the room, proceeding down Holly's corridor. He counted the doors on the right--one...two...three...--and delicately propped Barry up against the wall. He slipped an oddly-shaped key out of his chest pocket and bent down to see a wreck of a guest room through the keyhole. This was not one of their finest or most respectable guests in recent times. Not wanting to risk a confrontation, Brian sneaked away with Barry to another door down.

Brian unlocked the new room, positioning Barry's body on the bed. He patted Barry down routinely, removing a sheathed knife from his inner jacket, and then stripped him of his clothes entirely. The organisation always appreciated a few donations to their growing knife collection, and clothes were always good reserve fuel in a pinch. Brian finished by tucking Barry in the bed, then taking his possessions and leaving the guest room, locking it again behind him.

An eye watched as Brian turned away from the guest wing and off to another part of the building complex.

"Crap," Ross muttered through his teeth.  
The sounds of locking doors had distracted him from the slow passage of time and sickly sweet smell of shattered fragrances filling the room. He managed to see Brian fortunately, but not the person he had locked inside. Worst come to worst, Ross assumed it could be Arin, Suzy or maybe even Danny...panic resumed its place in his heart. If that other person _was_ Danny, he was so itchingly close to him...the desperation to break the wall separating them down began to build.

Ross picked himself up off the floor and placed an ear to the shared wall. Silence. Ross choked on the tears streaming down his cheeks once more. Angry at himself, angry at Brian, and angry at the world, he closed his stinging eyes and pounded his fist against the wall.  
"I'm...coming for you, Danny."


End file.
